Vaʻai Sililoto
Vaʻai Sililoto is a doctoral student at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of the Pacific Islands Development Program or the East-West Center.
Featured photo courtesy of Joshua Hoehne via Unsplash.
As an emerging Pacific researcher, mother, daughter, wife, schoolteacher, doctoral student and Samoan woman living in the diaspora of Aotearoa New Zealand, my tides of change have come through and continue to permeate in, around, and through education. Pacific people make up just over 8% of the total population of New Zealand and are the fastest growing population in the country. While Pacific people are excelling on the world stage in sports, performing arts, literature, and politics, within education the same cannot be said. In short, significant disparities exist. Some Pacific learners are achieving very well, but the system is failing many Pacific learners. An area that requires further development, therefore, within the New Zealand education system, is for education to be more responsive to the diversity of its learners. This article will explore some proposed effective and culturally-responsive teaching pedagogical practices needed to affect improved academic engagement that will benefit Pacific learners in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Research has shown that quality teaching can make the biggest difference in learner educational achievement. For Pacific learners, therefore, the role of an effective teacher is crucial because “quality teaching is seen as a key influence in attaining high-quality outcomes for Pacific students at all levels of learning.” (Alton-Lee, 2003, p. 5). In a New Zealand context, Pacific education refers to the education and development of people of Pacific cultural heritage and descent who reside in New Zealand. In the mid-1990s, three progressive phases occurred in the development of Pacific education. Phase one was an increase in government-funded and -directed programs into research and development of Pacific learners. Phase two was an aggregation of government-funded research programs, which resulted in the third phase of an expansion in professional learning development determined by evidence-based research outcomes of phase two. A direct political response that occurred was that lifting Pacific educational achievement became a government priority. Pacific students were identified as a priority learning group and the development of the first five-year Pasifika Education Plan 2001-2005 occurred at the same time.
Applying a post-structuralist approach using a discourse analysis (DA), this paper will briefly look at three Ministry of Education (MoE) documents, The Pasifika Education Plan 2013-2017 (PEP), Tapasā Cultural Competencies Framework for Teachers of Pacific Learners (Tapasā); the Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030: 2023 Refresh (APPE 2023 Refresh), along with the NZ Teaching Council document Our Code Our Standards: Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession (Teaching Standards). “Discourse Analysis is concerned with actions and practice and aligns with Foucault’s notion that when analysing discourse, the focus [on language] is not on everyday utterances, rather it is the specific unities of knowledges…that emerge within what is said” (Bacchi & Bonham, 2014, p. 187). Utilizing DA serves to explore the context of effective teaching practice as well as scrutinize barriers that limit quality teaching practice.
The Pasifika Education Plan provides the MoE with strategic direction for improving education outcomes for Pacific peoples. The overarching vision is to “raise Pasifika people’s success in education and through this to ensuring full participation and successful contribution to the economic, social well-being and transformation of our country.” (Ministry of Education, Pacific Education Plan, 2006). “The Tapasā Cultural competencies framework is a tool that can be used to build the capability of all teachers of Pacific learners across all education sectors” (Ministry of Education, 2018, p. 1). The document was designed to support non-Pacific teachers to confidently utilize culturally responsive practice with Pacific learners.
The APPE 2023 Refresh comprises five key shifts which have been prioritized by the government to support Pacific educational success. Of significant importance to the article is Shift 3 which states “enable every teacher, leader and educational professional to take coordinated action to become culturally competent with diverse Pacific learners” (Ministry of Education, 2020, p. 6). The Code of Professional Responsibility articulates the expectation by teachers, leaders and teaching experts. The Teaching Standardsdescribe the expectations of effective teaching (Council, E. 2017, p. 1) and are sanctioned teaching requirements that registered teachers in New Zealand must adhere to, to maintain and sustain registration. The Teaching Council Aotearoa New Zealand is the professional body for teachers.
Four key reflections about the impact of these documents on Pacific learners were found (Sililoto, 2022). Firstly, the objective of the PEP was an outline of the government’s commitment to improving education outcomes for Pacific learners. The creation of the PEP is an illustration of how far Pacific education has traversed. And that there is still some way to go. Largely contributing to the success of Pacific people is an excellent and equitable education system that actively utilizes and implements the knowledge and skills that these learners already possess. Effective classroom practitioners who can positively engage, motivate, and inspire Pacific learners are most successful when planning and assessment tasks are delivered through a culturally responsive classroom. As effective teachers we “need to … support students to enable them to bring their own knowledge and ways of being into the classroom” (Allen et al., 2009, p. 17).
Next, building and nurturing positive relationships and connections with both learners and families is inherent in culturally responsive pedagogy (Nakhid, 2003; Siʻilata, 2014; Samu, 2006). Moving forward, therefore, the New Zealand education system will only grow stronger by the maintenance of excellent quality pre-service teacher education programs and pathways. Additionally, school leaders must continue to upskill and grow all teachers professionally, personally, and culturally. Further, teaching and learning opportunities, resources and ongoing professional development must be made readily available for teachers. This will ensure that their pedagogy and practice is refined and improved so that ultimately, effective culturally responsive practitioners are at the forefront of every classroom nationwide
The acknowledgement of valuing Pacific knowledge is another example of how Pacific education has slowly transitioned from a Eurocentric system (Siʻilata et al., 2017, p. 912) to a more culturally responsive structure. And I believe that the New Zealand education system must continue to emphasize the value of Pacific knowledge in the New Zealand Curriculum. Further, Pacific knowledge must be viewed as inherently enhancing Western knowledge. Rather than referring to Pacific knowledge as an add-on or another extra thing to do, or even considered to be invalid. The New Zealand education system needs to acknowledge the authenticity of cultural capital for Pacific learners. Given this, teachers can and will continue to integrate it into mainstream teaching and learning through planning and assessment tasks in classroom programs. “Research shows that students are more motivated to take control of their learning in classroom environments that recognize them, draw relevant connections to their lives and respond to their unique learning needs” (Ambrose et al., 2010 as cited in Chu-Fuluifaga, 2022, p. 2).
Finally, the role of the Teaching Council is crucial in being a platform for effecting change. The Teaching Standards must endeavor to mandate the use and application of cultural literacies such as Tapasā and APPE 2023 Refresh. Therefore, for tides of change to be consistently sustained particularly for Pacific learners in Aotearoa New Zealand, positive-centered development of teachers must occur. Teachers need the tools and support to upskill and refine their teaching practice to ensure that effective, culturally-responsive practice is enacted and embedded in all classrooms for and with, all learners.
References
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Alton-Lee, A. (2003). Quality teaching for diverse students in schooling: Best evidence synthesis June 2003. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education.
Bacchi, Carol, and Jennifer Bonham. “Reclaiming discursive practices as an analytic focus: Political implications.” Foucault studies (2014): 179-192. https://doi.org/10.22439/fs.v0il17.4298.
Chu, Cherie, and Janice Ikiua-Pasi. “From good to great: The 10 habits of phenomenal educators for Pacific learners in New Zealand tertiary education.” Wellington: Ako Aotearoa (2021). https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2022.2127492.
Ministry of Education. “Pasifika education plan 2013–2017.” (2013).
Ministry of Education. “Tapasā: Cultural competencies framework for teachers of Pacific learners.” (2018).https://teachingcouncil.nz/resource-centre/tapasa/.
Zealand, New. Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030: 2023 Refresh. Ministry of Education, 2023.
Nakhid, Camille. “‘Intercultural’ Perceptions, Academic Achievement, and the Identifying Process of Pacific Islands Students in New Zealand Schools.” Journal of Negro Education (2003): 297-317. https://doi.org/10.2307/3211249.
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Siilata, Raewynn. “Va‘a Tele: Pasifika learners riding the success wave on linguistically and culturally responsive pedagogies.” PhD diss., ResearchSpace@ Auckland, 2014. https://link.springer.com/refereceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-981-10-3899-0_34.
Si‘ilata, Raewynn, Tanya Wendt Samu, and Alexis Siteine. “The Va‘atele framework: Redefining and transforming Pasifika education.” Handbook of indigenous education (2018): 907-936.
Sililoto, Va‘ai. “Effective teaching for Pasifika learners: Know Me – Teach Me!”: Engaging Indigenous relationality in school leadership.” Ethnographic Edge 5, no. 2 (2022). https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/ethnographic-edge/article/view/260/243.
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